Control device for line spacing in office machines



Nov. 1, 1960 CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

INVENTORI HANS HESS BY @az PATENT AGE/VT Nov. 1, 1960 H. HESS 2,958,407

CONTROL DEVICE FOR LINE SPACING IN OFFICE MACHINES Filed April 7, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 2 2,958,407 Patented Nov. 1, 1963 its CONTROL DEVICE FORLINE SPACING IN OFFICE MACHINES Hans Hess, Wilhelmshaven, Germany,assignor to Olympia Werke A.G., Wilhelmshaven, Germany Filed Apr. 7,1958, Ser. No. 726,672

7 Claims. (Cl. 197-66) The present invention relates to a mechanism forline spacing in typewriters or similar machines which are electricallydriven, said line spacing being designed in such a manner, that it canbe effected independently of the carriage return in any position of thecarriage as well as simultaneously with the carriage return.

It has been proposed in the past to effect the line spacing inelectrically driven typewriters and similar machines in a purelymechanical manner. Therefore, the purely mechanical operation of theline spacing need not be described in detail, since it is well known inconnection with machines without special driving means. Likewise, inelectrically driven machines, the line spacing may be effected by meansof levers and corresponding links so that the carriage return as well asthe line spacing may be effected by the depression of a single key. Insuch case, the carriage returns either first and the line spacingthereafter, or else, the succession of these operations may be reversed.However, such line spacing arrangements require a considerable number ofstructural members, the position of which continuously changes duringoperation, so that the actuation not only produces a substantial noise,but is often the cause of faults. Moreover, the individual members aremainly accommodated within the carriage, so that the weight of thelatter increases, causing a reduction of the writing speed.

With fully electrically driven machines, a special key is provided foran independent line spacing, said key operating through a make switch, acontrol device only including a single relay operating in a self-holdingcircuit. This relay controls the individual actions required for theline spacing.

In order to effect the line spacing independently of the carriagereturn, a locking device for the escapement wheel of the carriage isused for semielectrically driven machines, as well as for fullyelectrically driven machines, said locking device being constituted by alever or the like. One end of this lever limits the relative movement ofthe carriage with respect ot the frame of the machine within a single'escapement step. The key switch serves to efiect this operation.According to a further feature of the invention, this lever is designedas a two-armed lever and the lever arm which actuates the contact issubstantially longer than the lever arm which coacts with the escapementwheel of the paper carriage.

With the fully electrically driven machine, the make switch foreffecting the line spacing and the carriage return is connected with anactuating key by means of a key lever mechanism, a segment provided witha stop, a spring and a lever pivotal about an axis, so that the makeswitch can he closed for a short time and can serve simultaneously forinitiating the line spacing together with the carriage return.

Still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of thepresent invention will become apparent from the detailed descriptiongiven hereinafter; it should be understood, however, that the detaileddescription and specific examples, while indicating preferredembodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only,since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope ofthe invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from thisdetailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows schematically in a first embodiment of the invention acontrol device for the line spacing on a typewriter with an electriccarriage return;

Figure 2 is a side view of a part of the device of Figure 1,illustrating the swinging of the detent lever into the star wheel whichis operatively connected to the carriage;

Figure 3 shows in a second embodiment of the invention a control devicefor the line spacing on an all electric typewriter.

As shown in the first embodiment of Figure l, a rectifier 2 is connectedthrough a transformer 1 to the alternating current mains and suppliescurrent through a condoctor 3, and a make switch 4, constructed in theform of a key switch and serving for the line spacing and carriagereturn, to two relays 7 and 8. A contact 6 is connected in parallel tothe make switch 4, said contact being likewise constructed in the formof a key switch and being actuated by means of a line space key 5. Therelay 7 (cut-in relay) has an operating winding 7a and is provided witha break contact 70 in addition to a self-holding contact 7b and a motorcontact 7d for con necting an electric motor 19 to the mains through twoconductors 29 and 30. By closing the make switch 4, the relay 8 (motorrelay) is energized by its winding 8a over the break contact 70, aconductor 11, a contact 12 and a terminal switch 13, provided with abreak contact, and is brought thereby into the operative position. Therelay 8 comprises, in addition to a self-holding contact 812, a couplingcontact 8c for closing the circuit of an electromagnetic coupling 16 viathe conductors 3 and 15, two brushes 23 and 24 and two sliding contacts25 and 26, which are mounted on a shaft 14 of the motor 19. Through thiscoupling, the motor is operatively connected to a drum 18. In addition,an auxiliary contact 8d is provided to maintain the self-holdingcondition for the relay 7, i.e., to maintain closed the energizingcircuit of this relay over the conductors 3, 15, 19, even after theopening of the make switch 4. A motor contact 8e enables the maincircuit of the motor to be connected to the main voltage by means offour conductors 27, 28 and 25, 30. The contacts 812, 8c and 8d areconnected together on one side. A switch 21 is connected in shunt withthe coupling contact Sc by means of a conductor 9 and a resistor 22,said switch 21 acting as an over-run contact. A paper carriage 20 with astop Zita and a rack 20b is operatively connected by means of a pinion32 and a star Wheel 33 with an escapement lock, not shown. As a resultof depressing the line space key 5 (see Figure 2), .the contact 6 isclosed and, in addition thereto, the two-armed key lever 43, pivotableabout a pin and being provided with a slot, is brought into operativeconnection with a double-armed lever 35 by means of a pin, said leverbeing pivotable about a pin 39. On this double-armed lever 35, atwo-armed detent lever 37 is mounted for swinging about a pivot 38 insuch a manner, that its upper lever arm, provided with a detent, canengage in the star wheel. With its lower lever arm, the detent leverrests against a pin 31 in such a manner that the contact 12 is normallyclosed. The pin 31, guided by two holders 35a and 35b secured to thedoublearmed lever 35, is urged by a compression spring 40 by means of acollar 31:! against one of the holders in such a manner, that the pincan only be pushed back by a force greater than that of the spring 40.

In the second embodiment shown in Figure 3, a rectifier 2 is connectedto the main voltage by means of a transformer 1 and energizes through amake switch 4, a terminal switch 13' and a conductor 11 the winding ofthe relay 8. This relay comprises a self-holding contact 8b and a clutchcontact 8c for the control of the circuit of an electromagnetic clutch16. A contact 12, located in the circuit of this electromagnetic clutch16 can be opened by means of a detent ilever 3'7 and, thereby,disconnects the coupling connnection between the motor 19 and thedriving drum 44. The detent lever 37 is pivotally mounted in such amanner that its detent arm is capable of engaging an escapement wheel 33for the carriage movement, while the other arm of the detent lever 37engages a pin 31 so that the contact 12 remains closed.

The lever arm 37 is pivotally mounted at 38 and is operatively connectedwith a lever arm 35 pivotally mounted about a shaft 39. A pin 31 ismounted on said shaft 39 by means of brackets and is pressed against onebracket by means of a spring 40, so that the pin 31 can be depressedonly by a force which is greater than that exerted by the spring 41 Themake switch 4 is actuated by means of a key lever mechanism comprising akey '45, a segment '46 with a projection 46a and a spring 4-7, and atwo-armed lever 48 pivotally mounted about a shaft 49. This lever 48 iscapable of closing the make switch 4 for a very short time and servesfor initiating the line spacing in connection with the carriage return.

For an independent line spacing, a line spacing key 5 is provided whichis equipped with a contact 6 formed as a key switch and by means ofwhich the circuit of the clutch 16 can be closed.

The "first embodiment, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, operates asfollows: In order to initiate the line-spacing with simultaneouscarriage return, the make switch 4- is closed. The relay winding 8areceives current through the break contact 7c, the relay 8 responds andis held in the self-holding state by means of the contact 8]).Thereafter, the relay 7 is energized through the contact 8d; it operatesand is then, likewise, in a self-holding circuit. The two relays at thesame time switch on the main circuit of the motor 19 and the circuit ofthe electromagnetic coupling 16. The motor starts and the couplingbecomes engaged. As a result of the inertia of the mass of the carriage,the drum 18 first carries out in a manner known per se the line spacingby means of a belt, not shown, prior to the return of the carriage tothe initial position. In order to terminate the carriage return, theterminal switch 13 is opened for a short time by the returning carriageand, at the same time, the switch 21 is temporarily closed by thecarriage overrun. The opening of the terminal switch 13 leads to animmediate release of both relays 7, 8, so that voltage is no longerapplied to the motor and the force returning the carriage ceases. Theswitch 21, which is closed by the carriage overrun, however, preventsdisengagement of the electromagnetic coupling 16, because a bridging ofthe open coupling contact 8c is effected at the right moment by this keyswitch. Thus, as the carriage returns from its overrun to its initialposition, it is additionally braked by the inertia of the rotor, in thisway damping the harmful impact of the carriage.

If the make switch 4 should be accidentally depressed after the relay 8is released, the relay 7 remains in operative position by means of theself-holding contact 7b, the winding 7a and the conductor until the makeswitch 4 is opened. Consequently, a new operation of the relay 8 isprevented by the open break contact 7c.

To cause line spacing, the line space key 5 is depressed and the contact5 is closed (see Figures 1 and 2). Since the line space key 5 merelyreplaces the make switch 4, the same operation as described above takesplace first, electrically speaking. In addition, however, the lever 35is brought into operative position, whereby the detent lever 37 is swunginto the range of the star wheel 33. The line spacing is carried outimmediately as usual. Since the carriage 211, at its start, acts on thestar wheel 33 through the rack 20:) and the pinion 32, it tries to turnthe star wheel in clockwise direction. On the other hand, the detentlever prevents this movement from occurring and transmits it directly tothe adjacent contact 12. A slight advance of the carriage by anadjustable fraction of an escapement step causes a deflection of thelower arm of the detent lever 37 in the direction of the arrow, saiddeflection being amplified in proportion to the leverage, thusimmediately eifecting the opening of the contact 12 and, hence, theself-holding circuit of the relay 8. As a result of this, the two relaysrelease. The carriage is accordingly stopped before it has executed evenone escapement step and, therefore, returns into its original position.As a result of the force of the spring 46, the lower arm of the lever 37returns to its normal position by being swung back by the pin 31. Thecontact 12 is now reclosed and a fresh line spacing can only be effectedif the line space key 5 is again actuated. Thus, if the line space keycontinues to be depressed, accidental line spacing cannot be caused,since the break contact 70 is held open.

The mode of operation of the second embodiment i.e., the .control deviceshown in Figure 3, for the all electric typewriter is as follows: Theindependent line spacing in any position of the carriage is caused bydepressing the key 5, whereby the locking levers 35 and 37 are movedinto the range of the escapement wheel 33 and the contact 6 is closed.As a result of the closure of the contact 6, the circuit of theelectromagnetic clutch 16 is completed and the clutch becomes energized.A drawband drum is directly connected to the armature of theelectromagnetic clutch, said drum being connected to the carriage 20 andthe line spacing mechanism by means of a draw band 17. The draw band 17first operates the line spacing mechanism, not shown, and moves it intothe end position. As a result of the now occurring relative movement ofthe carriage with respect to the frame of the machine and ofthe'resistance increased due to the pull of the draw band, the lever 37is turned by the escapement wheel 33 about the pivot pin 38 against thepressure of the spring 40, said pressure being larger than the forcerequired for the line spacing within the range of a single escapementstep, whereby the contact 12 is opened so that the circuit of theelectromagnetic clutch is interrupted and the latter is de-energized.The pull of the draw band 17 ceases, whereby all members return into theinitial position and the contact 12 recloses.

To initiate the line spacing together with the carriage return, the key45 is depressed, .whereby the make switch 4 is closed by means of thekey lever mechanism. The relay 8 becomes energized and moves into itsoperating position so that the self-holding circuit is closed over thecontact 80. The driving drum 44- is now connected to the motor 19 bymeans of the electromagnetic clutch 16 and first causes the line spacingover the draw band 17. Thereafter, the carriage 20 is returned in amanner known per so until the returning carriage interrupts the breakswitch 13 shortly before the end of the return movement. As a result ofthis, the self-holding circuit of the relay 8 is opened and the relay 8releases, whereby the clutch 16 is also disengaged.

I claim:

1. A control device for typewriters and similar oifice machines providedwith a displaceable carriage comprising driving means adapted to operatea carriage return mechanism and a line spacing mechanism, a controlcircuit in registry with said driving means including relay meansoperating in a self-holding circuit, a make-switch located in saidcontrol circuit, a carriage locking device cooperable with saiddisplaceable carriage for locking the latter, a line spacing keydisposed in saidcontrol circuit and in registry with said carriagelocking device, said make-switch and said line spacing key eachenergizing said relay means to actuate said drive means for saidcarriage return mechanism, said make-switch upon actuation thereofpermitting line-spacing in conjunction with carriage return movement,whereas actuation of said line spacing key operates said carriagelocking device to thereby permit only line spacing.

2. A control device for typewriters and similar office machines providedwith a displaceable carriage comprising, driving means adapted to drivea carriage return mechanism and a line spacing mechanism, a controlcircuit in communication with said driving means including relay meansoperating in a self-holding circuit, a make-switch located in saidcontrol circuit for energizing said relay means to actuate said drivingmeans, whereby said line spacing mechanism and said carriage returnmechanism are activated to cause a line spacing operation in conjunctionwith a carriage return movement, said driving means including anelectromagnetic clutch, and said control circuit including a switchoperating in response to said carriage return movement to maintain saidelectromagnetic clutch energized until completion of said carriagereturn movement to thereby brake said return movement and dampen theimpact.

3. A control device for typewriters and similar office machines providedwith a displaceable carriage comprising, driving means adapted to drivea carriage return mechanism and a line spacing mechanism, a controlcircuit in communication with said driving means including relay meansoperating in a self-holding circuit, a makeswitch located in saidcontrol circuit for energizing said relay means to actuate said drivingmeans, whereby said line spacing mechanism and said carriage returnmechanism are activated to cause a line spacing operation in conjunctionwith a carriage return movement, a key lever mechanism, a segment memberprovided with a projection and carried by said key lever mechanism, aspring interconnecting said segment member and said key lever mechanism,and a two-armed lever disposed between said projection and saidmake-switch, whereby actuation of said key lever mechanism closes saidmake-switch.

4. A control device for typewriters and similar ofiEice machinesprovided with a displaceable carriage, comprising driving means adaptedto drive a carriage return mechanism and a line spacing mechanism, acontrol circuit in communication With said driving means including relaymeans operating in a self-holding circuit, a make-switch located in saidcontrol circuit for energizing said relay means to actuate said drivingmeans, and a line spacing key provided with a contact member in parallelwith said make-switch, whereby said line spacing mechanism and saidcarriage return mechanism are activated to cause a line spacingoperation in conjunction witn a carriage return movement.

5. A control device for typewriters and similar ofiice machines providedwith a displaceable carriage, compris ing driving means adapted to drivea carriage return mechanism and a line spacing mechanism, a controlcircuit in registry with said driving means and including relay meansoperating in a self-holding circuit, said relay means of said controlcircuit comprising a single relay which actuates said driving means toefiect a line spacing operation, a carriage locking device, a linespacing key disposed in said control circuit and communicating with saidcarriage locking device, said line spacing key operating said carriagelocking device and energizing said driving means, said line spacing keybeing provided with a contact member for energizing said control circuitwhereby said line spacing mechanism is actuated to initiate a linespacing operation without carriage return movement.

6. A control device for typewriters and similar ofiice machines providedwith a displaceable carriage, comprising driving means adapted to drivea carriage return mechanism and a line spacing mechanism, a controlcircuit in registry with said driving means and including relay meansoperating in a self-holding circuit, a carriage locking device includingan escapement wheel and a detent lever engageable with said escapementwheel, a line spacing key disposed in said control circuit andcommunicating with said carriage locking device, said line spacing keyoperating said carriage locking device and energizing said drivingmeans, said line spacing key being in registry with said detent leverfor causing engagement thereof with said escapement wheel therebylimiting movement of said escapement wheel to cause line spacing withoutcarriage return movement, whereby said line spacing mechanism isactuated to initiate a line spacing operation without carriage returnmovement.

7. A control device according to claim '6, wherein said detent lever isprovided with a pair of arms different in length from one another, thelonger arm being in registry with a contact which is opened duringlimited movement of said escapement Wheel, the other arm. beingengageable with said escapement wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,143,404 Kennedy June 15, 1915 1,509,228 Carino Sept. 23, 19242,104,007 Bower Jan. 4, 1938 2,262,676 Helmond Nov. 11, 1941

